Investigation of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 genetic variants in the development and clinicopathologcial characteristics of uterine cervical cancer in Taiwanese women

Impact of CD44 genetic variants on clinicopathological characteristics of uterine cervical cancer patients

CD44 genetic variants have been found to be related to various cancers. However, to date, no study has demonstrated the involvement of CD44 polymorphisms in uterine cervical cancer in Taiwanese women. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study, consecutively recruiting 113 patients with invasive cancer, 92 patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, and 302 control women to assess the relationships among CD44 polymorphisms, cervical carcinogenesis, and patient survival. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the genotypic distributions of six polymorphisms: rs1425802, rs187115, rs713330, rs11821102, rs10836347, and rs13347. The results revealed that women with the mutant homozygous genotype CC exhibited a higher risk of invasive cancer compared to those with the wild homozygous genotype TT [p=0.035; hazard ratio (HR)=10.29, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.18-89.40] and TT/TC [p=0.032; HR=10.66, 95% CI=1.23-92.11] in the CD44 polymorphism rs713330. No significant association was found between CD44 genetic variants and clinicopathological parameters. Among the clinicopathological parameters, only positive pelvic lymph node metastasis (p=0.002; HR=8.57, 95% CI=2.14-34.38) and the AG/GG genotype compared to AA (p=0.014; HR=3.30, 95% CI=1.28-8.49) in CD44 polymorphism rs187115 predicted a higher risk of poor five-year survival, according to multivariate analysis. In conclusion, an important and novel finding revealed that Taiwanese women with the AG/GG genotype in CD44 polymorphism rs187115 exhibited a higher risk of poor five-year survival.

The impacts of MACC1 gene polymorphisms on urothelial cell carcinoma susceptibility and clinicopathologic characteristics in Taiwan

Urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) is a common malignancy of the urinary tract in Taiwan. Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1), a newly identified oncogene and regulator of the HGF/Met signaling pathway, has been shown to play a critical role in the development and progression of several types of cancer. Our study aims to investigate the impact of MACC1 gene polymorphisms on the clinicopathological features of patients with UCC. In this study, we included a total of 719 patients with UCC and 719 healthy controls. The genotyping of five MACC1 gene polymorphisms (rs1990172, rs975263, rs3095007, rs4721888, and rs3735615) was performed using real-time PCR with TaqMan assays. Our findings indicate that urothelial cancer patients with MACC1 rs3095007 A allele had a decreased risk of >T2 stage [Odds ratio (OR)=0.619, 95% CI=0.394-0.971, p=0.036] and lymph node invasion (OR=0.448, 95% CI=0.201-0.998, p=0.044). Additionally, these individuals were associated with longer relapse-free survival (p=0.007) and overall survival (p=0.028). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that urothelial cancer patients with MACC1 (rs3095007) CA and AA genotypes have a lower risk of advanced T stage and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, these genotypes were associated with longer relapse-free survival and overall survival, highlighting the potential of these biomarkers as predictors of UCC prognosis.

Effect of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 genetics polymorphism on clinicopathological characteristics of uterine cervical cancer patients in Taiwan

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) have been revealed to be related to various cancers. To date, no study explores the relationships between TIMP-3 polymorphisms and uterine cervical cancer. The purposes of this research were to investigate the associations among genetic variants of TIMP-3 and development and clinicopathological factors of uterine cervical cancer, and patient 5 years survival in Taiwanese women. The study included 123 patients with invasive cancer and 97 with precancerous lesions of uterine cervix, and 300 control women. TIMP-3 polymorphisms rs9619311, rs9862 and rs11547635 were checked and their genotypic distributions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. It showed that women with genotypes CT/TT in rs9862 were found to display a higher risk of developing cervical cancer with moderate and poor cell differentiation. Moreover, it revealed that cervical cancer patients carrying genotypes CC in rs9619311 exhibited a poorer 5 years survival, as compared to those with TT/TC in Taiwanese women, using univariate analysis. In addition, pelvic lymph node metastasis was determined to independently predict 5 years survival in cervical cancer patients using multivariate analysis. Conclusively, TIMP-3 SNPs polymorphisms rs9619311 are related to cervical patient survival in Taiwanese women.

Comprehensive Analysis of circRNA Expression Profiles During Cervical Carcinogenesis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are regulatory molecules that participate in the occurrence, development and progression of tumors. To obtain a complete blueprint of cervical carcinogenesis, we analyzed the temporal transcriptomic landscapes of mRNAs and circRNAs. Microarrays were performed to identify the circRNA and mRNA expression profiles of cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) patients compared with normal controls (NC). Short time-series expression miner (STEM) was utilized to characterize the time-course expression patterns of circRNAs and mRNAs from NC to HSIL and CSCC. A total of 3 circRNA profiles and 3 mRNA profiles with continuous upregulated patterns were identified and selected for further analysis. Furthermore, functional annotation showed that the mRNAs were associated with DNA repair and cell division. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that the ten highest-degree genes were considered to be hub genes. Subsequently, a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis and real-time PCR validation indicated that hsa_circ_0001955/hsa-miR-6719-3p/CDK1, hsa_circ_0001955/hsa-miR-1277-5p/NEDD4L and hsa_circ_0003954/hsa-miR-15a-3p/SYCP2 were highly correlated with cervical carcinogenesis. Silencing of hsa_circ_0003954 inhibited SiHa cell proliferation and perturb the cell cycle in vitro. This study provides insight into the molecular events regulating cervical carcinogenesis, identifies functional circRNAs in CSCC, and improves the understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular biomarkers of CSCC and HSIL.

Effect of MACC1 Genetic Polymorphisms and Environmental Risk Factors in the Occurrence of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

MACC1 (Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1) is found to regulate the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met signal pathway, and plays an important role in tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, the relationships between MACC1 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and oral cancer are still blurred. In this study, five SNPs (rs3095007, rs1990172, rs4721888, rs975263, and rs3735615) were genotyped in 911 oral cancer patients and 1200 healthy individuals by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the associations of oral cancer with the SNP genotypes, environmental risk factors, and clinicopathological characteristics were further analyzed. Our results showed that individuals who had GC genotype or C-allele (GC + CC) in rs4721888 would have a higher risk for oral cancer incidence than GG genotype after adjustment for betel quid chewing, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking. Moreover, the 715 oral cancer patients with a betel quid chewing habit, who had C-allele (TC + CC) in rs975263, would have a higher risk for lymph node metastasis. Further analyses of the sequences of rs4721888 revealed that the C-allele of rs4721888 would be a putative exonic splicing enhancer. In conclusion, MACC1 SNP rs4721888 would elevate the susceptibility for oral cancer, and SNP rs975263 would increase the metastasis risk for oral cancer patients with a betel quid chewing habit. Our data suggest that SNP rs4721888 could be a putative genetic marker for oral cancer, and SNP rs975362 may have the potential to be a prognostic marker of metastasis in an oral cancer patient.

Impact of pentraxin 3 genetic variants on uterine cervical cancer clinicopathologic characteristics

The aims of this study were to investigate the relationships among pentraxin 3 (PTX3) genetic variants and development and clinicopathological characteristics of uterine cervical cancer, and patient survival in Taiwanese women. The study enrolled 125 patients with invasive cancer and 98 patients with precancerous lesions of uterine cervix, and 325 control women. PTX3 genetic variants rs2120243, rs3816527, rs2305619 and rs1840680 were selected and their genotypic distributions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Our results indicated that patients with genotype CC in PTX3 rs2120243 and genotype GG in rs1840680 had more chance to have adenocarcinoma but not squamous cell carcinoma, as compared to those with CA/AA and those with GA/AA, respectively. No other clinicopatholgical characteristics were associated with PTX3 genetic variants. In addition, PTX3 genetic variants were not associated with 5 years survival of cervical cancer patients. In conclusions, PTX3 genetic variants are not associated with carcinogenesis and clinicopathological variables of uterine cervix and patient survival in Taiwanese women. The only independent predictor for the 5 years survival is pelvic lymph node metastasis.